


The Genetic Inheritance Affair, 3: Waverly's dilemma

by Hypatia_66



Series: The Genetic Inheritance Affair [3]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 01:03:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13846785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypatia_66/pseuds/Hypatia_66
Summary: LJ Once upon a time affair. Theme: melancholyNapoleon has been sent to find Illya who has been captured. Waverly hears news he can't believe and leaves UNCLE precipitately to see for himself.





	The Genetic Inheritance Affair, 3: Waverly's dilemma

**Waverly’s dilemma**

 

It was supposed to have been a simple milk run. All he’d had to do was place the package in the designated location, and then leave. As he sat in the back of the truck, with his hands cuffed behind him, and his broken nose throbbing, Illya began to wonder if it wasn’t time to get out of the spy game.

oo000oo

Nothing had been heard from Illya for some hours. The trace on him had been removed and silenced and he hadn’t been seen since he left the drop location; but a report began to come through as Napoleon and Waverly stood examining a map of the area where he had been last monitored.

A clattering from the corner alerted them to the issue of paper from the machine. Waverly detached it and read its message.

“Mr Kuryakin has been seen. Let’s look at that map again… yes, here. Thrown into a delivery truck, it seems. Someone noticed a logo resembling a bird on it. Driven off westwards.” He looked up. “Bird logo. Sounds like Thrush. I’m sure he can look after himself, but we need him at the moment. All right Mr Solo, you’d better go – it says here he was tied and not looking too well.”

“Thank you, sir.” Napoleon made for the door, saying, “I’ll get a car from the garage and see if I can pick up a trace.”

He ran through the corridors, fumed at the slowness of the lift and the extraordinary selfishness of people wanting to use it, and arrived down in the garage to find it empty of both vehicles and mechanics.

He called out and ran to the entrance. No-one – it was insane – his partner was in danger of his life, and, like one of those nightmares where you find yourself pursued by a madman with an axe while your feet are trapped in treacle, he couldn’t go anywhere.

And then, of course, someone came, and there _was_ a car and an explanation – just parked outside, sir, while we cleaned up an oil spill. See, just there, oh gee, you must have stepped in it, sir. Maddening, but he didn’t care.

Retaining enough graciousness, despite the oil stain on his trousers and shoes, to utter his thanks, Napoleon jumped into the vehicle and roared out of the garage and into a traffic jam.

oo000oo

Once away from the city and heading west, Napoleon hoped to make up the time, which would only happen if he were heading in the right direction. He would have to stop and enquire. But who notices delivery trucks?

oo000oo

The phone call came on the scrambler. Waverly listened and sat up in his chair, the hairs on the back of his neck raised in his agitation.

“Good grief…” he said. “Good Lord… how can that be?”

His secretary was surprised when he emerged from the office in his overcoat and hat. “I have received a report that demands my personal attention, Miss Rogers,” he said. “I’m going out, I may be away some time,” he said, unconsciously echoing an ominous phrase he had heard in his youth.

“Where can I contact you, if I need to, sir?”

“This UNCLE facility in Connecticut,” he said. She read the name and blinked. “The maternity hospital, sir?”

“Yes. Say nothing to anyone. Nothing at all. This is a very delicate matter. When Mr Solo returns, he can take charge.” He left her sitting, mouth open.

oo000oo

At a diner he stopped at, Napoleon thought he might have struck the trail. The woman behind the counter had been annoyed by the behaviour of a couple of men who had come in an hour or so earlier demanding an immediate takeout and drinks. There had been a long line in front of them, and they kicked up a fuss before angrily leaving with nothing. She thought they might have been driving a small truck.

He thanked her, gulped down a quick coffee and returned to the car. It was a fast road and a fast car. He thought that, if they had wanted sustenance that badly, they might have stopped again somewhere.

When he caught up with them – not all that long afterwards, in fact – they had run out of gas. The truck was sitting at the side of the road, the driver, only, at the front, furiously smoking a cigarette and slapping his hands with frustration on the steering wheel.

Napoleon pulled up ahead of the truck and, walking back to the driver’s window, tapped on it. “Need any help?” he enquired.

“We ran outa gas, that’s all. Get lost.”

“What a shame I don’t have any to spare. Has someone gone to fetch some?”

“What’s it to you?”

He stepped back and said, speaking more loudly, “Oh, just my natural Good Samaritan tendency…” and, gratifyingly, heard muffled shouting and banging from the back of the truck.

“I think you have a problem back here,” he called, trying the locked doors. The driver leapt out and was confronted by Napoleon’s gun – actually loaded with sleep darts, but the driver wasn’t to know that.

“Open it!” commanded Napoleon.

oo000oo

The baby, unable to breathe on her own, was on a ventilator. She was tiny and looked like a little doll in the incubator, with her minuscule hat and diapers, fighting to live. Most newborn babies have blue eyes, and (to most men) tend to look rather alike, but she had a curiously distinctive brow and as Waverly looked down at her, he was deeply moved by compassion and grief. He reached through the incubator sleeve to take her hand and felt her fingers clutch his. Suddenly breathless, he turned to the nurse. “The other baby is fine, you say?”

“Yes. It’s so strange – he’s a proper full-term baby. He can breathe, no problem, and he’s feeding and putting on weight,” she said, adding inconsequentially, “he has lots of the most beautiful black hair.”

“And this one?”

“She’s so small, it’s like she’s premature. Her lungs don’t seem to have developed. And she’s fair. You wouldn’t believe they were twins.”

“No. Very strange,” said Waverly grimly.

“Non-identical twins often don’t look very alike – but these are so different, it’s like they had different fathers,” she said, smiling.

Waverly looked away.

“Will she live?”

The nurse stopped smiling. “I don’t know, sir. Newborns are amazingly resilient, but this is one sick baby.”

“Does the mother know?”

“I think she knows something, sir. Do you want to see her?”

“I do, but first I’d like to talk to the doctor.”

oo000oo

“This is the first case I have _ever_ come across, in all my years as an obstetrician. I thought it was a myth – and I’m not sure I believe in it even now.” The doctor looked appalled. “When you had this mother brought here, I thought it was going to be a simple birth. No-one had heard a second fetal heartbeat, so we weren’t expecting to see twins.” He wiped his brow. “And now you tell me, that what she said … that it must indeed be a second conception? By a different partner?”

“Indeed… Well, a partner in a manner of speaking. It’s very unfortunate situation, but I fear that it _is_ the result of just that.” Waverly sat looking solemnly at the doctor.

“It’s not uncommon in some animals, but in humans – it’s rare, almost beyond belief.”

“Human fertility has not been a study of mine, of course, but I strongly suspect that it might be due to something the women were given in advance.”

The doctor lifted his hands to his face and rubbed hard. “Good God…” he muttered and started, suddenly. “Will there be others? If what you tell me is the case…?”

“No, there is no chance of it. Nothing happened to the others. As you say, this is extraordinarily rare. Now, doctor, I’d like to talk to the mother, please.”

“Mr Waverly, in view of what you have just told me, do you think that it’s wise to disturb her when the baby is so sick?”

“She is no fool, doctor. I need to see her.”

oo000oo

This baby was very different. He was much larger, much darker, and much more active even when feeding. His mother smiled and held his feet as he kicked. She looked up as the door opened, and greeted her guest politely.

Waverly smiled and sat down. “That’s a fine baby, Miss McAndrew. What is his name?” he asked.

“I’ll call him Teddy for now – short for Edward or Eduardo – his father’s name, as I expect you know.”

“And your daughter?”

Her face fell. “I think Perdita might be appropriate, don’t you?”

“I hope not.”

“Do you? Really? Will you tell her father – if she lives?”

Waverly, who had thoughtlessly brought out his pipe, restored it to his pocket and said, “You know, then.”

“She’s very like him. However bizarre it seems, it couldn’t be otherwise. And, in kindness – because he was kind to me – I think it would be unfair to tell him.”

“Isn’t it also unkind to keep it from him?”

oo000oo

Illya was cheerful. He looked like a panda with his two startling black eyes and the white plaster on his repaired broken nose. But they had brought him a steak and an enormous salad, which he had just finished when Napoleon came in. “Did you arrange for this?” he asked, pointing to the tray.

“Not me, chum. Probably one of your friends in the kitchens keeping an eye on you.”

“They know a lot more about how to feed a patient than this lot do,” Illya snorted. “Anyway, when can I leave?”

“How do you feel?”

“Actually, a bit sleepy – it’s probably the steak. Maybe I’ll stay the night – leave in the morning.”

Napoleon looked surprised. “That comfortable, huh?”

“Just for once. I like to be at home if I’m really sick, but warm and well-fed and not in too much pain, I don’t mind staying… for a while. Then I can come straight to the office tomorrow.”

“Tchah! You should go home and rest that broken nose – it’s not a great look. Maybe I should make that an order.”

Illya uttered something unrepeatable, but grinned and sank back among his pillows. “See you in the morning, boss,” he said. Napoleon raised a threatening fist, bared his teeth and was about to leave his partner to sleep, when Illya said “By the way, I haven’t seen Mr Waverly, have you?”

“No, that’s why I’m in charge. Lisa said he was called away. He’s been gone two days. She wouldn’t say where.”

Illya looked puzzled. “He never goes away. Only with us or for special trips.”

“Perhaps this was a special trip.” 

“Must be. Wonder where he went?”

“If he didn’t want anyone to know, it isn’t anything _we_ need to worry about. Go to sleep. Good night.”

oo000oo

Mr Waverly returned the next day, uncharacteristically subdued. Lisa brought him a cup of tea as usual and was horrified to find him sitting at his desk, mopping his eyes. She put the tea down and touched his arm gently. “Mr Waverly! What’s happened? Is everything all right? Is there something I can do?”

“No, Miss Rogers, there’s nothing anyone can do.” He folded the handkerchief over, looked up and in more normal tones if a little brokenly, said, “Young woman I know, lost her baby.”

“Oh, how sad, I’m so sorry,” Lisa began.

“Bit upsetting …  kind of granddaughter – I don’t have any, you know,” he said. She listened in considerable surprise, not accustomed to hear him speak about himself.

“Born prematurely,” he said. “Lived just two days… a little girl, such a pretty child…” He blew his nose.

Lisa started to say something, but Waverly looked at her and said firmly, “Don’t say anything about this. Not to anyone – _anyone_. Understand?”

“I understand, sir.” The perfect secretary, loyal, discreet, silent.

“I don’t suppose you do, but I know I can rely on your discretion, Miss Rogers – I’m sorry you found me like that.” He was returning to normal.

“That’s all right. You can rely on me, sir. Now, is there anything I can get you?”

“No, thank you.” And abruptly changing the subject, he said, “Mr Solo is presumably here. Is Mr Kuryakin in the building?”

“He was still in Medical last night – he may still be there.”

“I’ll go and see him.”

oo000oo

Illya was putting on his tie and whistling when Waverly knocked and walked in.

“Glad to see you safe and well, Mr Kuryakin,” said Waverly, rather to Illya’s surprise. It hadn’t been a very significant injury.

“Thank you, sir. Reporting for duty,” he said.

“Desk duty, for you, young man. I don’t think we’ll be sending you anywhere just yet – you are a little too conspicuous at the moment. How is the nose?”

“Repaired, but a bit tender.”

“What was that you were whistling just now? – I know the tune, couldn’t place it.”

Illya laughed, “I’m sure you know it, sir, ‘Two lovely black eyes’. I looked in the mirror for the first time, this morning, and remembered it from my time in London.”

“Ah yes, of course. I once saw Charles Coborn himself sing it. At the Coliseum, you know, before the First World War, when it used to be a music hall.”

“I believe Herman’s Hermits have recorded it, recently, too,” Illya said unthinkingly.

“Who?”

“Oh! Just a pop group, sir.”

Waverly sighed. His fondness for his young protégé, so much like a son to him, didn’t extend to his taste in music. He frowned at him, unwittingly restoring his normal character, to Illya’s relief.

The boy was unusually cheerful, happy to be at work – he’d have to keep the secret from him for now.

ooo0000ooo

 

**Author's Note:**

> Superfetation is a very rare, but known occurrence in human beings. Twins may be conceived at different times, even by different fathers, weeks apart. The second child is born prematurely and may not survive.
> 
> “I’m going out, I may be some time,” was said by Captain Titus Oates, a member of the ill-fated 1912 British expedition to the South Pole, led by Robert Falcon Scott. He deliberately walked out into the storm in order not to come back.
> 
> Perdita means lost. 
> 
> Herman’s Hermits’ version of “Two lovely black eyes” is on YouTube.
> 
> Note: "All newborn babies have blue eyes" amended to "Most newborn babies" thanks to Psyche53.


End file.
